Sheets-sheet



May 5, 1953 F. D. LOW

Filed Dec. 30, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET l 26 i -ET} I I I f 6 f 15- I f 21 z 2 R. low

BY AM y 5, 1953 F. D. LOW 2,637,044

MOUNTING BRACKET FOR FAUCETS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 30, 1950 2 SI-lEETS-SHEET 2 flwm M I Patented May 5, 1953 MOUNTING BRACKET FOR FAUCETS AND THE LIKE Frank D. Low, La Grange Park, Ill., assignorto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 30, 1950, Serial No. 203,617

4 Claims. .1

This invention relates to an improved means for mounting a faucet on the backsplasher of a kitchen sink or the like, and has for a principal object the provision of a faucet mounting which will greatly simplify the installation of the faucet and its removal for replacement or repair.

The presently most popular kitchen sinks are the so-called cabinet type in which a cabinet structure encloses the space beneath the sink. As a rule, because of drawers and compartments which occupy substantial space and frontal. area, there is only a relatively small central space within which access may be had to the water supply piping and drain connections. Such sinks frequently have a relatively high rear wall or backsplasher extending upwardly for the full length of the sink and it is customary to mount the faucet on the backsplasher. Considering that cabinet sinks are intended to be placed against a kitchen wall, it is seen that the usual practice of mounting the faucet by means of lock nuts which clamp against a rear wall of the backsplasher requires considerable agility on the part of the plumber, who must reach blindly up into the central cabinet space in order to get his Wrench on the lock nuts. Indeed, the standard technique is to install union connections in the hot and cold water lines and to locate said connections in the accessible portion of the central cabinet space, whereupon after breaking the line connections on the drain trap connection, the sink may be lifted off its cabinet and brought away from. the wall to afford access to the lock nuts. This is a time-consuming practice, and therefore costly; and there is the ever present danger of damage to the sink or cabinet.

Pursuant to the broad objective above stated, I haveprovided a novel faucet mounting bracket which is placed against the front of the backspiasher and secured to it by screws accessible from the front. As will later be described, all operations involved in positioning or removing the faucet are conducted from the front of the sink.

Other features and advantages of my inventicn will be apparent in the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, showing the mounting bracket and faucet in position on the backsplasher of a kitchen sink; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mounting bracket, only a portion of the faucet body being shown and the trim cover being in vertical section; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the backsplasher panel showing the access opening for the faucet connections and the mounting nuts for the bracket; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, showing a faucet mounted on the mounting bracket embodying my invention; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of a sink with faucet mounted thereomthe floor of the sink basin being shown in section; and Fig. dis a fragmentary side elevation with the sink in section, showing the manner in which the freed bracket and faucet maybe removed as. a unit from the backsplasher.

Referring now to Fig. l, a kitchen sink i is of ordinary pattern having a basin 2 and a backsplasher 3. Although my invention is equally advantageous with unenclosed sinks, I have illustrated a sink of the cabinet type in which a cabinet 5 has conventional side, front, and rear walls enclosing the space below the sink. As is well understood, the periphery of the sink is ar ranged to rest on the upper edge portion of the cabinet, the walls of which may be stiffened in any suitable manner as by angle irons or the like 0, appropriately placed within the cabinet and spotwelded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto. The cabinet with the sink in place thereon is presumed to be in its ultimate position in which the rear margin of the backsplasher and the real marginal edges of the cabinet abut the kitchen. wall I, for example, of a building. The usual waste pipe and trap are not shown, but it will be understood that they occupy the familiar position Within the cabinet below the sink. The connection to the building plumbing system, not shown, may be by way of a wall or floor outlet. The respective hot and cold water pipes ii, 3 are suitably connected to the supply piping of the building and like the waste system, may be brought upwardly through the floor or through the wall to terminate in the upwardly looking pipes 8, 9. The pipes may be spaced one from the other as required to meet installation conditions. The illustrated relatively close spacing is by way of example only. In any event, the pipes 8, 9 terminate below the floor [0 of the sink bowl and are provided with any appropriate union fitting I l It will be understood that the cabinet 5 is of the conventional type having doors in the front wall (not shown) which provide access to the interior of the cabinet and make the several plumbing connections available from outside of the cabinet.

I have chosen to illustrate my mounting bracket as applied to a well known type of water faucet having singl handle control over flow and temperature. Such faucets, as shown in partial section in Fig. 4, have a body member l2 below a neck portion l2.l which screw threadedly receives a valve seat member 13, on which the upper body portion I4 is rotatably mounted by means including the nut 15. It will be noted that body member I2 is of a larger diameter than the neck [2.1, thus forming an annular shoulder IS which provides a seat for the mounting bracket as later described. Spout l1 extends from the upper body portion I4. Handle i8 is associated with said upper body portion by a ball-like member l9 which forms a universal joint connection. Body member 42 may be polygonal or cylindrical; it may also have a reduced diameter portion 28 projecting therefrom. Flexible conduits 2!, 22 are permanently secured to the body member [2 and respectively supply the same with hot and cold water, being provided with union fittings 23 for cooperation with the fittings H on the respective hot and cold water pipes. The conduits 2!, 22 may advantageously be of the relatively soft copper tubing common in modern plumbing. They are bent on relatively large radius curves so as to accommodate themselves to the three or four inch space available between the rear wall of the backsplasher and the building wall l.

The mounting bracket 25, which I have devised for mounting this and other types of faucets, comprises a preferably integral structure having a rigid top plate 26and spaced legs 2? extending downwardly therefrom at the rear. Said legs have flat surfaces suitably drilled to pass screws 28 which secure to nuts 29 fastened to the rear wall of the backsplasher behind holes appropriately formed therein. Sidewalls 39 extend forwardly from the respective legs and terminate in vertically disposed bosses 3! which occupy diametrically opposite portions with re spect to the body member l2. Means are provided to clamp the body member [2 against the top plate 26. I prefer to use a device like the saddle 32, Fig. 2, which comprises a bar 33 extending transversely across the base of the faucet body member and having the angularly offset end portions which provide clamping shoulders 34 engaging the underside of the body member if. Screws 35 pass through openings in the saddle to enter tapped holes in the bosses, and will draw the bracket 25 downwardly until the lower margin 36 of the bracket top plate open ng seats securay on the shoulder 16. Although it does not supply such a secure mounting, the saddle 32 may be dispensed with by making the .eads of the screws 35 sufficiently large so that the heads will themselves engage the bottom of the body member !2 to exert the clamping action. Bracket 25 is advantageously made of die cast metal and to protect the vitreous enamel finish of the backsplasher, I may interpose a resilient gasket 35* between the legs and the backsplasher.

It is apparent from. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 the bracket 25 fits about an opening 3'5 formed in the backsplasher. Said opening is conveniently rectangular having a transverse width suitable for the maximum width of the body member if of the faucet. It will be understood that the bracket 25 and opening 3"! may be enlarged in any dimension to accommodate other types of faucet. In any event, the opening 31 provides adequate side margin clearance for the conduits 21, 22.

To conceal the mounting bracket 25 of its accessories, I provide a decorative cover or shield 38 which fits snugly about the bracket, as shown to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2. A screw 39 having a suitably knurled head threads into a tapping provided for it in the saddle 32. In the above noted modification in which it is suggested that the heads of screws 35 may secure faucet body member I2, it would be advantageous to affix a stud to the faucet body to project through the bottom opening of the cover 38 and receive a knurled nut or equivalent.

It will be seen that to remove the faucet from the backsplasher it is necessary only for the plumber to break the union fittings at pipes 8 and 9, remove the cover 38 to obtain access to the screws 28, and remove the screws from the nuts 29 which are fixed to the inner backsplasher wall. Then the entire assembly of faucet and mounting bracket may be drawn forwardly and upwardly, as suggested in Fig. 5, for removal from the sink. The angle at which the conduits 2|, 22 extend from the faucet body member permits the passage of the conduits Within the backsplasher space and through the opening 3'! without conflict. The faucet and bracket assembly may be just as easily replaced on the backsplasher. lhe pipes 2|, 2?. are threaded through the opening 3? and the screws 28 lined up with the nuts 29 and made up tight. The union fittings may be made secure and the cover 38 returned to position.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A faucet mount'ng for a sink having a wall portion disposed adacent the bowl of the sink, said wall portion having an opening to accommodate the passage of water supply piping from the body of th faucet to a point of connection with service piping below the sink: comprising a bracket having a rigid top member provided with an opening to receive an upper portion of the faucet body and wall means disposed in overlying relation with wall portions of said faucet body, mutually spaced leg portions extending downwardly from said top member at the rear thereof, the said top member and leg portions fitting about the top and side margins of said sink wall opening, side wall members extending from said leg portions and closely embracing said faucet body above the base thereof, a saddle extending between said side wall members below said faucet body and in engagement therewith, fastening means adjustably securing said saddle to said side wall members to cause said saddle to displace said faucet body into tight engagement with said wall means of the said rigid top member, and means for removably securing said bracket legs to said sink wall.

2. In combination, a faucet having a body member including means providing an upwardly facing shoulder, a mounting bracket including a top wall portion having an opening to receive said body member with the shoulder thereof engaging with the underside of said wall portion, water supply conduits extending angularly outwardly from said faucet body member, leg members extending downwardly from said wall portion at the rear thereof to provide means for mounting said bracket on a supporting surface, said leg members straddling said water supply conduits, wall members extending between each said leg member and said bracket top wall portion and collectively embracing said faucet body member for a substantial portion of its length above the base thereof, and clamping means removably secured to said wall members and engaging said body member to exert axial forces thereon for urging the shoulder of said faucet body member into clampin engagement with said bracket top wall member.

3. In combination, a sink having an upwardly extending backsplasher wall defining an enclosed space when the sink is placed against a building wall, said backsplasher wall having an opening, a faucet having a body formed with an upwardly facing shoulder below a reduced diameter neck portion, conduits extending outwardly and downwardly from said body for projection through said backsplasher wall opening into the space behind said wall, a mounting bracket disposed about said faucet body and having a rigid top wall and leg members extending therefrom, said top wall having an opening receiving said neck portion with said shoulder engaging with said to wall, said top wall and said leg members being disposed outwardly of the top and side margins of said backsplasher opening means accessible from the front of said backsplasher for removably securing said leg members to said backsplasher wall, side wall means extending from each said leg member to closely embrace said faucet body, a saddle member extending between said side wall members below said faucet body, and screw-threaded means for causing said saddle member to engage said faucet body to urge the shoulder thereof tightly into clamping relationship with said bracket top wall member.

4. In combination, a faucet having a body member formed with an upwardly facing shoulder below a reduced diameter neck portion, a mounting bracket including a top wall having an opening to receive said neck portion with said shoulder engaged with the underside of said top wall, a pair of leg members extending angularly from said top wall for mounting said bracket on a supporting surface, side wall members extending forwardly from each leg member and collectively embracing said faucet body member, each side wall member terminating in a boss extending axially along said body member in relatively close proximity to the wall thereof, a rigid clamp member extending between said bosses below said body member, and screw-threaded means between said clamp member and said bosses to drive said clamp member against said body member to urge the shoulder thereof into tight engagement with said bracket top wall.

FRANK D. LOW.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,089,390 Mangin Aug. 10, 1937 2,295,888 Bucknell et a1. Sept.15, 1942 2,392,918 I-Iaberstump Jan. 15, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,127 Great Britain 1901 800,645 France Apr. 12, 1934 

